Thunder roar to 14th straight win, repel Knicks

(Updated 2:28 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines -- Make it 14 in a row.

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their 14th straight game after keeping the New York Knicks at bay, 117-107, Saturday morning (Manila time) at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma.

The win also snapped New York’s own nine-game winning streak.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spearheaded the Thunder with 33 points, seven assists, four rebounds, a steal and a block. Jalen Williams added 20 markers.

But it was Aaron Wiggins who made shots when it mattered the most, scoring 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. He also had five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

The Knicks led by eight, 88-80, at the end of the third quarter.

However, the Thunder unleashed a 12-3 run capped by an Isaiah Joe 3-pointer to grab a one-point lead, 92-91, with 8:15 remaining.

New York grinded the lead back to their side with six unanswered points, 97-92, but Wiggins erupted just in time.

He and Gilgeous-Alexander teamed up to wrest total control of the game, 108-101, with 2:21 remaining.

A putback by Josh Hart and a layup by Jalen Brunson sandwiched a finger-roll layup by Gilgeous-Alexander, but finishing touches by Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort iced the game.

Dort added 11 markers for Oklahoma City.

Mikal Bridges paced New York with 24 points, while Brunson posted 22 markers and nine dimes in his return from a one-game absence. OG Anunoby scored 20, Hart added 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 17 markers and 22 dimes for the Knicks.

According to the NBA, this tied the longest winning streak in franchise history, which was set in the 1995-96 season by the Seattle Supersonics.

The Thunder rose to 29-5 in the season, while the Knicks dropped to 24-11.

In Houston, the Boston Celtics dominated the Rockets to win, 109-86.

Derrick White finished with 23 points and four rebounds, while Payton Pritchard and Jayson Tatum had 20 apiece.

It was almost all Celtics right from the get-go, as Houston saw its 15-12 lead in the first quarter turn into a 29-19 deficit just a few minutes later.

The defending champions did not let up as their lead grew to as much as 28 points.

Jalen Green produced 27 markers in the losing effort for the Rockets.

In San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama came up with big plays to lead the Spurs over the Denver Nuggets, 113-110.
In a battle of superstar big men, Wembanyama had 35 points and 18 rebounds with four assists while superstar Nikola Jokic had 41 points and 18 rebounds to go with nine assists.

Last season’s Rookie of the Year dished out to Chris Paul for the go-ahead jumper with less than a minute remaining. 

And, with time winding down, he stole a pass from Jokic that eventually led to a dunk by Devin Vassell that set the final score. 

In Los Angeles, LeBron James showcased his timeless brilliance once again, leading the Lakers to a 119-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks. 

The 40-year-old James had 30 points in the game, where he also surpassed Michael Jordan for the most 30-point games in NBA history. 

Anthony Davis had 18 points,  with 17 coming in the first half. He also had 19 boards. 

Trae Young led Atlanta with 33 points.

The Cleveland Cavaliers also took advantage of the absence of Luka Doncic to grab the 134-122 win in Dallas. 

The Cavs, backed by a 34 point-10 rebound performance by Evan Mobley, have won their ninth straight game.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans also dominated the Washington Wizards, 132-120; the Orlando Magic added to the Toronto Raptos’ woes, 106–97; and the Detroit Pistons came from behind to defeat the Charlotte Hornets at home, 98-94.